Continuous envelopes



H. E. PAULSON CONTINUOUS ENVELOPES l July 22, 1969 Filed ost. 10, 1967 INVENT OR United States Patent O 3,456,869 CONTINUOUS ENVELOPES Harold E. Paulson, Atlanta, Ga., assignor to Curtis 1000, a corporation Filed Oct. 10, 1967, Ser. No. 674,199 Int. Cl. B65d 27/10 U.S. Cl. 229-69 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to continuous envelopes. A series of envelopes is secured in slightly spaced relation to a backing sheet or carrying tape means. The backing sheet or tape has one or more longitudinal rows of spaced perforations to accommodate the feed wheels of a business machine. The backing sheet or tape also includes a series of longitudinally spaced detachable areas defined by perforated lines or other weakened lines of separation. The detachable areas of the backing sheet or tape means are adhered to the rear of the envelopes to secure the envelopes in place. The envelopes are detached from the backing sheet by detaching the detachable areas from the backing sheet or carrying tape means.

This invention relates to an improvement in continuous envelopes and deals more particularly with a series or assembly of envelopes so mounted on a iiexible member that they may be continuously advanced to operative position by the flexible member in a business machine or addressing, printing or other operation thereupon.

An object of the preferred form of construction of the present invention is to provide a series of envelopes having their panels slightly spaced apart and with each sealing iap positioned below and retained by the panel of an adjacent envelope, the envelopes being attached to a backing sheet provided with feeding -wheel perforations in a manner to permit successively feeding said envelopes individually to an operative position in a business machine.

In the construction illustrated in Patent 2,723,077 issued Nov. 8, 1955, to H. M. Whitman, continuous envelopes were secured to a backing sheet of the same type illustrated in the present invention. In the structure shown in the patent, each envelope was provided with laterally extending aps or flanges which were connected to the remainder of the envelope body along weakened lines of separation. After the envelopes had passed through the business machine, they were stripped from the backing sheet by detaching the flaps from the remainder of the envelope body, providing envelopes of conventional appearance and leaving the detached aps attached to the' backing sheet to be discarded therewith. This structure has been successfully produced in extremely high volume. Perhaps the only objection to the previous structure was in the fact that the cost of producing envelopes having the laterally projecting flaps is considerably higher than the cost of producing conventional envelopes. It is the object of the present invention to produce a continuous envelope structure which can be used in the same manner as the envelopes illustrated in the patent above referred to and in which the envelopes themselves are of completely conventional form.

A feature of the present invention resides in the provision of a continuous backing sheet which may be pro- Patented July 22, 1969 vided with spaced circular apertures extending along opposite edges which are designed to engage the teeth of feeding wheels of a business machine, and in a novel manner of attaching envelopes of any desired form thereto. Rows of spaced detachable areas are provided in the backing sheet, and a small area of adhesive is applied to each removable area. The envelopes are placed in contact with the backing sheet and are adhered to the backing sheet by the small areas of adhesive. As a result, the envelopes are securely afxed to the backing sheet. However, when it is desired to detach the envelopes from the backing sheet, the envelopes are engaged by suitable means which merely detaches the detachable areas from the backing sheet, leaving the detached areas secured to the envelope. With this arrangement, any desired form of envelope may be applied to the backing sheet, providing a continuous envelope structure which is adaptable to any form of envelope desired.

A further feature of the present invention resides in the fact that the detachable areas of the backing sheet may be used for decorative purposes or for identification purposes if it is so desired. The detachable areas may be of a distinctive outline, and thus may serve as an identification symbol for the company using the same. For example, the detachable areas may be of circular outline, may be generally star-shaped in form, or may be of any other suitable identifying shape. This identification may be emphasized by making the envelopes of different colored paper from that of the backing sheet. When the present idea was first proposed, it was felt that the presence of detachable areas on the rear surface of the envelopes would be considered to detract from the appearance of the envelopes. It was found that by properly designing the detachable areas, they actually served to enhance the appearance of the envelope and to lend a certain air of distinctiveness which might otherwise be difficult to obtain. Furthermore, it is found that if the distinctiveness is not considered an asset, the detachable areas could be rendered very inconspicuous by making the envelopes and the backing sheet of similar color.

I have found that my construction can be very easily produced by puncturing the backing sheet at frequent equal intervals, and by simultaneously applying a spot of glue or other suitable adhesive to the center of the detachable area, the quantity being insuicient to spread beyond the periphery of the detachable areas. The size and frequency of the detachable areas depends upon the nature of the backing sheet as Well as upon the type of adhesive which is employed. If the backing sheet is perforated just in advance of the location at which the envelopes are applied to the surface thereof, a rapid bond between the envelope and the detachable area is formed. The detachable areas are encircled by weakened lines of separation which are designed to separate from the backing sheet when a force is applied which is insuflcient to break the adhesive bond between the envelope and the backing sheet. In other words, the weakened lines of separation are so designed that these areas will separate before the glue bond will give way, thus ensuring a uniform row of detached areas on the surface of the envelope after it has been detached from the backing sheet.

While the envelopes have been described as mounted on a backing sheet, carrying tape means may also be used for this purpose. Patent 2,723,076, issued Nov. 8, 1955 to H. M. Whitman, shows envelopes having laterally extending flaps anchored to a pair of parallel perforated tapes which may be used to carry the envelopes through a business machine. These flaps are detachably connected to the envelopes so that the envelopes may be stripped from the tapes by tearing off the flaps along weakened lines of separation. Such a construction could be used in place of the backing sheet if desired.

In the present description, the term backing sheet has been used to describe the member for carrying the envelopes through the business machine. It should be understood that this term may describe either the type of backing sheet comprising a single web of greater width than the envelopes, or the perforated tape which is only a fraction of the width of the envelopes. Furthermore, while the carrier sheet as shown supports a single row of envelopes, a plurality of rows could also be mounted on the same backing sheet.

These and other objects and novel features of the present invention will be more clearly and fully set forth in the following specification and claims.

In the drawings forming a part of the specification:

FIGURE l is a plan view of a plurality of envelopes attached to the backing sheet in spaced relation.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged rear view of one end of an envelope after it has been detached from the backing sheet, the areas which have been detached from the backing sheet being shown in place on theenvelope.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged detail showing an edge of the carrier sheet and a pair of spaced detachable areas in the sheet just before the envelope is applied thereto.

FIGURE 4 is a greatly enlarged detail of one of the detached areas attached to the surface of an envelope.

FIGURE 5 is a rear elevational view of a modified arrangement of detachable areas on the rear of an envelope removed from the carrying means.

FIGURE 1 of the drawings indicates a series of envelopes attached in slightly spaced relation to a backing sheet which is indicated in general by the numeral 11. The envelopes 10 are of any conventional form, preferably including a rectangular front panel 12 having a trapezoidal rear panel 13 hinged to the lower edge 14 thereof, and having generally triangular flaps 14 hinged to the side edges 15 thereof. A sealing flap of generally triangular form, indicated by the numeral 16, is hinged to the upper edge of the front panel, and is designed to seal marginal edges of the rear panels 13 and 14. As is indicated in the drawings, the triangular panels 14 overlap the trapezoidal flap 13 and are marginally secured thereto.

Detachable areas 19 are provided in the backing sheet 11, these weakened areas being spaced inwardly toward the longitudinal center of the backing sheet from the perforations 20 in the backing sheet which are designed to engage feeding wheels or sprockets of the business machine. The detachable areas 19 may be of any desired outline shape, and may, for example, be defined merely by a circular cut line which is discontinued at angularly spaced points to hold the detachable areas 19 in the plane of the backing sheet 11. The type of weakened line which is used is dependent upon many factors, such as the weight and strength of the paper forming the envelope, the nature of the adhesive bond between the weakened areas and the envelope, and other such variable factors. In other words, the perforations defining the detachable area in a sheet of paper having little strength should be substantially farther apart than the perforations used to define the separable areas on a strong tough sheet of paper.

FIGURE 4 of the drawings indicates one of the detachable areas 19 after it has been detached from the backing sheet 11. Dotted line 21 indicates that spot of adhesive which has been used to adhere the detachable area 19 to the rear surface of the envelope 10. In the particular arrangement illustrated, the detachable area is formed by a series of arcuate cut lines 22 arranged in angularly spaced relation about a center point or axis 23 and with the surfaces equally spaced radially from the axis 23. The ends of the cut lines 22 terminate in spaced relation, and the distance between the cut lines depends upon the strength of the backing sheet in which they are formed. The arrangement is such that when the envelopes 10 are stripped from the backing sheet 11, the paper of the backing sheet tears between the ends of the cut lines 22, the direction of tear being generally tangent to a circle having the axis 23 as its center. As a result, when the detachable areas 19 are detached, they give the appearance of a series of spaced gears or sprockets attached to the rear surface of the envelope. Such a design would be especially adaptable to envelopes used by manufacturers producing machinery of one type or another.

In a similar way, the cut lines 22 could be replaced by generally V-shaped cut lines which would be arranged to form detachable areas simulating a star or the like. As a result, the shape of the detachable areas may be varied in accordance with the desires of the user, and the separable areas could serve to distinguish a certain field of industry. Thus it is often preferable to make the envelopes and the backing sheet in contrasting colors so that the detached areas are readily visible on the backs of the envelopes. Thus rather than to detract from the appearance of the envelope, it may be used as a decoration for it.

FIGURE 5 of the drawings shows a modified form of construction which may be used by those objecting to the appearance of the detachable areas on the rear of the envelopes. In the arrangement shown in FIGURE 5, the envelope 30 includes a rectangular front panel 31, and a generally triangular ap 32 is folded upwardly from the lower edge 33 to overlap and be marginally secured to generally triangular flaps 34 folded inwardly from opposite sides 35 of the front panel. A generally triangular sealing flap 36 is hinged to the upper edge 37 of the front panel.

To secure the envelope 30 to the backing sheet such as 11, the detachable areas 39 of the backing sheet are connected to the rear surface of the sealing flap 36. As a result, these detachable areas are concealed when the sealing flap 36 is sealed shut. Alternatively, detachable areas 40 may be secured to the portions of the bottom flap 32 and side flaps 34 which are covered by the sealing flap 36 when the envelope is sealed. Thus any objection to the appearance of the envelopes may be overcome by positioning the areas of connection on areas of the envelope which will be concealed when the envelope is sealed.

In accordance with the patent statutes, I have described the principles of construction and operation of my improvement in continuous envelopes, and while I have endeavored to set forth the best embodiment thereof I desire to have it understood that changes may be made within the scope of the following claims without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim:

1. A continuous envelope structure including:

an elongated backing sheet,

a series of envelopes in longitudinally spaced relation on said backing sheet,

said backing sheet having longitudinally spaced detachable areas therein beneath each envelope and substantially in fact contact therewith, and

said detachable areas being defined by perforated lines in said backing sheet,

whereby when said envelopes are detached from said backing sheet, said detachable areas will remain secured to each said envelope to serve as an identification.

2. The structure of claim 1 and in which said detachable areas are arranged in parallel rows longitudinally of said backing sheet.

3. The structure of claim 1 and in which the-envelopes are provided with front and rear surfaces, and in which 5 the rear surfaces are secured to the detachable areas of the backing sheet.

4. The structure of claim 1 and in which said detachable areas are defined by angularly spaced arcuate cut lines.

5. The structure of claim 4 and in which the convex sides of said arcuate cut lines are directed toward the center of said detachable areas.

6. The structure of claim 1 and in which the color of the backing sheet diiers from that of the envelopes.

6 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS DAVID M. BOCKENEK, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 

